


The Shadows of Tomorrow

by lemonchase



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: "Graphic Depictions Of Violence" warning might be added, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, Grief/Mourning, Knights of Walpurgis, M/M, Nightmares, POV First Person, POV Harry Potter, Parseltongue, Suspense, Tags May Change, Time Travel Fix-It, chamber of secret, dark themes, petrification
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:22:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24232759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonchase/pseuds/lemonchase
Summary: "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"These words still ringing in his ears, Harry wakes up in the Forbidden Forest. Little did he know that he traveled over 50 years into the past.Now Harry has to deal with a fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle, a suspicious Dumbledore, World War II, and Grindelwald while looking for a way to return to his friends.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. the arrival

" _Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?_ "  
  
These words are still ringing in my ears when I wake up. I try to breathe as shallowly as possible and wait. But nothing happens. I just lay there, nose In the dirt, my left arm stretched away from me at an uncomfortable angle. The only things I hear are a couple of birds flying by and my heartbeat.  
  
Something isn't right. Where are the cheers, the cries of joy, the excitement? Voldemort just killed his biggest enemy. Surely that would warrant _some_ kind of reaction. But from what I can tell, there isn't a single witch or wizard near me. How is that even possible? Is this some kind of trick to see if I'm still dead? Can't they check my pulse or something? Why go to these lengths?  
  
Unfortunately, I can't open my eyes to check whether I'm alone. I still have my wand, but that won't save me. I can't fight against Voldemort and his loyal servants simultaneously and expect to come out on top. That's ludicrous.  
  
After I waited a while, I finally dare to open my eyes a tiny bit. I'm still in the Forbidden Forest, as I expected, but I seem to be all alone. I can't see a single living being near me. Are they behind me? But why would they wait there? It's much more likely that I truly _am_ alone. Who knows how long I was gone. Voldemort might already be on his way back to Hogwarts to crush the survivors once and for all. I decide to count to a hundred. If nothing happens in that time frame, it's likely safe to stop pretending to be dead.  
  
When I finally reach one-hundred, I'm ready. I roll around and draw my wand. But as I expected, there's no-one to be seen. I don't know if that's a good or a bad sign. If Voldemort hadn't left my body behind, I'd be dead by now - this time for good. But if he isn't here, he must be somewhere else, presumably at the castle.  
  
The grip around my wand tightens as I get going. I wasted enough time. I can only hope that I'm not too late, that Voldemort didn't utterly decimate my friends yet.  
  
It takes some time, but finally, more and more light shines through the trees, and I reach the edge of the forest. My heart rate goes up, and I mentally prepare myself to fight Voldemort one last time, bringing it to an end.  
  
But then my determination turns into confusion. Bafflement. Uncertainty.

I can see no signs of a battle: no blood, no severed limbs, no dead bodies, nothing. There aren't even any signs of destruction. Hogwarts seems to be completely intact. I also notice that there is no sign of Hagrid's Hut and the Whomping Willow. Were they destroyed in the fight?  
  
_What is going on? How long was I gone? Weeks? Months? Who rebuilt Hogwarts, the light side, or Voldemort? Who won?  
  
__Who died?  
  
__Ron and Hermione. Ginny. I need to talk to seem, make sure they're alright.  
  
_" _Expecto Patronum_!" The stag appears and looks at me with unblinking eyes. "Go to Ron and tell him: 'I'm at Hogwarts. Where are you'?"  
  
The stag just keeps looking at me and doesn't move one inch. Immediately, I feel cold and dead inside.  
  
_He can't be. He just_ can't _!  
_  
I try to send the stag to Hermione. Then to Ginny. The stag just keeps standing there and eventually disappears into thin air.  
  
_There's got to be another explanation. They ... they could be behind a Fidelius Charm. My Patronus wouldn't be able to reach them there, right? Right?!  
  
_I try to pull myself together. I have to find out what's going on. And the easiest way to do that is to talk to the students sitting in the sun not far away from me.  
  
I step out of the forbidden forest and make my way straight to the nearest group of students. Most of them wear Slytherin-uniforms, so there's a chance that they'll try to bring me straight to Voldemort, but at this point, I don't care.  
  
A boy about one or two years younger than me is the first one to notice me. He nudges the girl next to him, and soon the whole group is staring at me. I'm not surprised. I'm pretty sure I'm a sight to behold. Tattered clothes, covered in mud and blood, determination written all over my face. I guess it would be for the best if I put my wand away, but I don't think it's worth the risk.  
  
"Where is Voldemort?" I ask once I'm within earshot.  
  
The students exchange looks. Then one of them asks: "Who?"  
  
_They're kidding me, right? Did I not speak loud enough?  
  
_"Voldemort," I repeat loud and clear. "You-know-who. The Dark Lord."  
  
Again, the students exchange looks. It's almost like they've never heard these names before. But that's impossible.  
  
"Look, can you just tell me what's going on? My last memory is of the Battle of Hogwarts. Voldemort insisted that I go into the Forbidden Forest to surrender. I did that, and he tried to kill me but didn't succeed. After I regained consciousness, Voldemort and his followers were nowhere to be seen. What happened? Is Voldemort dead? Did someone else kill him? What about his sn-"  
  
I manage to cut myself off in time. No-one but myself, Ron, Hermione, and Neville know that Nagini has to die, and it's for the best if it stays that way.  
  
"Someone tried to kill you?" one of the girls asks with raised eyebrows.  
  
"What are you talking about?" the boy next to her interrupts her. "There never was a 'Battle of Hogwarts.'"  
  
"I think you fell on your head or something," someone else throws in. "You're talking nonsense. Would explain all the blood and mud you're covered in."  
  
"Which house do you belong to?" the boy who first saw me asks. He is looking at me with narrowed eyes. "I don't think I've seen you before. I would've remembered that odd scar on your forehead."  
  
Wait, he doesn't recognize me? Or at least my scar? How is that even possible? I mean, it's nice and all, but I have never met a witch or wizard who didn't know my name and how my scar looks like.  
  
But if they don't know who Voldemort is, it's not surprising that they don't recognize me. Our names kind of go hand in hand.  
  
The next words are spoken quieter, almost as if I'm not supposed to hear them. "Do you think he was, you know, attacked?"  
  
"Probably," is the muttered answer. "But he isn't petrified, is he? I think this is about something else."  
  
"I don't like it. Should we call professor Dippet?"  
  
_Professor Dippet? Petrifaction?  
  
_I have a terrible prediction. It would explain a lot - why Hagrid's Hut and the Whomping Willow are nowhere to be seen, why Hogwarts looks like there never was a battle, why the students don't know who Voldemort and I are and why my Patronus wasn't able to reach my friends.  
  
It would explain a lot - but not everything. For example, I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be _possible_. Hermione told me that you could only go up to 24 hours into the past. I also remember that you aren't supposed to be seen by others, let alone speak with them while you're in the past. Well, if I'm right, it's already too late for that.  
  
For the first time, I look at the students a little bit closer. I'm not surprised - given my prediction - that I don't recognize a single one of them.  
  
There are many ways of checking whether I'm right or not. I pick the one that is easiest and fastest. I raise my right hand. Some students draw their wands, and a couple of them even jump to their feet. I ignore them.  
  
" _Expecto Patronum_!"  
  
The stag appears again, and this time I'm pretty sure it will reach its destination.  
  
"Go to Albus Dumbledore and come back to me if you were able to find him."  
  
The stag turns around and makes his way towards the castle. I exhale sharply. I didn't even notice a was holding my breath.  
  
_This has got to be one of the strangest things that have ever happened to me. I thought coming back to life would forever be at the top of that list, but now I'm not sure what takes the cake.  
  
_I don't even know how to feel about this development. Of course, I will be devastated if I'm stuck here forever. I would cut my right arm off to get back to my friends, though I hope I won't have to go quite so far.  
  
But there is also a small part of me that doesn't want to go back. Going back would mean either dying or becoming a hero. I find both outcomes to be intolerable.  
  
Of course, I will still confront Voldemort once I return, if only because there's no one else to do it. But now that I am here, I kind of feel like I can push the problem away, at least for a little while. The prospect of staying here for a couple of weeks sounds very appealing. I could need some rest.  
  
Still, I can only hope I'll be able to find a way to get back to the future. The thought of never seeing Ron and Hermione and Ginny again -  
  
"Hey!"  
  
I blink sheepishly. The students are staring at me, some look confused, others still have their wands drawn. _Damn it. I've got to be more careful.  
  
_"What was that for?"  
  
Are they talking about my Patronus? How am I suppose to answer that?  
  
"I … doesn't matter. Anyway, I'll go to the hospital wing now."  
  
I need a quiet place where I can think in peace. The hospital wing doesn't sound like the worst place for that.  
  
"Good idea," someone grumbles.  
  
I ignore the comment and get going. While I make my way to the castle, I notice that the students I talked to aren't the only ones staring at me now. I don't know when they started looking at me - if it was before or after I cast the Patronus - but I guess it doesn't matter.  
  
Anyway, it's pretty easy to ignore the stares. I'm kind of used to them after over six years in the Wizarding World. What isn't so easy to ignore are the students who approach me on my way to the castle. They start asking me questions like "Why are you covered in mud and blood?", "Where are you going?" and "Which house are you from?". I try to answer as vaguely as possible. Some questions I ignore outright, like the very infuriating "Are you a mudblood? You know, 'cause you're covered in mud and blood?".  
  
I've almost reached the castle when the last student I want to see right now steps into my path.  
  
The students around me fall silent, and I can't even hold it against them. His presence feels pretty intimidating, even to me, who knows his older snake-like-counterpart. It's not the first time that I notice how Tom Riddle's presence affects other people. Not by a long shot. But it kind of feels different this time. I think it's because I'm not just watching someone's memory and because the situation as a whole is so strange.  
  
"You're not a student," Tom Riddle says. He sounds neither suspicious nor threatening. But that doesn't mean much.  
  
"No, I'm not," I answer offhandedly. I don't see a point in lying. Sooner or later, it will come out anyway.  
  
"How were you able to get onto school grounds, then?"  
  
"No clue," I answer. It's the truth. I don't know how I ended up here, at this time, at this place. It would be nice if someone else could answer that question for me, but no-one will be able to, because I don't intend to tell anyone that I'm a time traveler. "Could you step aside now, please?"  
  
Tom raises his eyebrows. "Why would I do that? As far as I know, you have no right to be here. You're way too young to be a new staff member, and you just admitted you aren't a student. Therefore, you pose a security risk."  
  
"As if you would care about anyone's safety but your own."  
  
I only notice I said that aloud when Tom narrows his eyes. _Shit. How do I fix this?  
  
_"Listen, right now, my mental, physical, and magical abilities are … stunted, to say the least. I'm tired, I'm hurt, and I haven't slept in over 24 hours. Could you please let me in?"  
  
Tom doesn't say anything for a couple of seconds. The eyes of the bystanders flicker back and forth between Tom and me. That's good. I'm _counting_ on peer pressure. I don't think Tom would ever back down if we were alone.  
  
"Alright," Tom finally says. But before I can feel any satisfaction for beating him, he adds: "But you'll have to give me your wand."  
  
As if. As _if_ I would be this stupid. "No way. I won't give away my only means of protection."  
  
I'm pretty sure I can see a spark of annoyance in Tom's eye.  
  
"Well then, I guess you'll have to -"  
  
Tom interrupts himself when my Patronus barges through the door and comes to a halt right in front of me. The stag looks at me for a couple of seconds, as if waiting for new orders, then he fades away into thin air.  
  
A couple of seconds later, Albus Dumbledore steps through the door. He looks much younger than the Dumbledore I'm familiar with, but he's still instantly recognizable. My knees feel weak all of a sudden. I may have seen Dumbledore less than an hour ago, but this feels entirely different. Dumbledore and I were both dead - more or less - when we talked at Kings Cross. And it might have been only a dream, something my mind made up.  
  
Now we're both alive. How crazy is that?  
  
"Oh, my," Dumbledore says kindly. "What happened to you, young man?"  
  
"I was … attacked," I answer reluctantly. I wonder how much I'm supposed to reveal. I already told some students a couple of crucial facts. I don't think I can prevent them from spreading those around. So I guess there's no harm in repeating them. "A Dark Lord by the name of Voldemort, tried to kill me."  
  
Tom's mask breaks for a moment as his eyes widen. Then he's back to his usual self. I have to suppress a smug grin.  
  
"Sir, I don't think we can trust anything that he says," someone to my left throws in. "He also said there was a battle at Hogwarts and wanted to know if someone killed this so-called 'Voldemort.' He probably hit his head, or someone manipulated his memories."  
  
Dumbledore looks at me over his spectacles, and isn't that something I could do without? Considering what I now know about Dumbledore, this might seems like a minor issue. That doesn't make it any less uncomfortable, though.  
  
"We'll get to the bottom of this," Dumbledore says. "In the meantime, I think you could use some medical attention and a bath, young man."  
  
I can feel myself blushing. _Why is everyone so focused on me being covered in mud and blood? Honestly, it's not that unusual.  
_  
Still, it's nice that Dumbledore doesn't seem as distrustful as Tom. Speaking of Tom, the fifteen-year-old just _has_ to interfere. Wait, is he still fifteen? When is Voldemort's birthday again? And in which month did I end up?  
  
"Sir, are you sure it's wise to let a stranger into the castle, given the current situation?"  
  
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I just told a bunch of people that Voldemort tried to kill me. _Of course_ , Tom would prefer it if Dumbledore wouldn't allow me to enter the castle. Tom has to wonder how I know about his secret name, why I said what I said and what else I know.  
  
"If we turn our backs to everyone who could become a thread someday, we will find our-selfs all alone. Surely you understand this, Tom." There might be an underlying message in these words, but I'm way too tired to figure it out. "Though if he proves to be dangerous, I can assure you that he won't be able to stay at Hogwarts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you might have noticed, I'm not a native speaker. Feel free to correct mistakes of any kind in the comments.


	2. the interrogation

The first thing I see when Dumbledore and I enter the hospital wing is the two petrified students. I try not to stare at them, but I kind of can’t help myself.  
  
I am the only one in the castle who knows that they were attacked by a basilisk - well, the only one besides Tom Riddle. I have to remind myself that telling Dumbledore about it isn’t worth the risk. Time-travel is extremely dangerous. For all I know, I could turn into thin air if I change the future - be it intentional or not. I might have already caused irreparable damage by being here, but nothing can be done about that. I can only control how I react from here on out.  
  
_This is so confusing. I wish I could talk with Hermione about this. She would know what to do.  
  
_ The young mediwizard doesn’t ask any questions and treats me like any other student. I'm very grateful for that. Once he is done, he tells me to take it easy for the rest of the day and gives Dumbledore a warning look. Then he leaves us alone.  
  
“Thank you for allowing me to enter the castle, sir. Not _everyone_ seemed to like your decision.”  
  
Dumbledore smiles at me. “No, I imagine not. It is not every day that a stranger gets onto school grounds. Especially not a stranger who tells everyone he got attacked by an unknown Dark Lord. Tom Riddle has his reasons to be afraid of you.”  
  
Afraid? Of _me_? I doubt it. Yes, Tom doesn’t know how much I know about him, but I doubt he considers me a threat.  
  
“What is your name, my boy? You already seem to know mine. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been able to send your Patronus to me.”  
  
“My name’s Harry Evans,” I answer after a short pause. I don’t think it’s wise to use my real surname. The Potters are a well known pureblood family. Dumbledore would want to know who my parents are.  
  
I hope Dumbledore didn’t notice I lied. I’m not a particularly good liar.  
  
“Tell me, Harry: how did Voldemort look like?”  
  
I chew on my lips and refuse to look Dumbledore in the eyes. “I can’t tell you that.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“I…” How am I suppose to answer that? “I just _can’t_ .”  
  
Dumbledore sighs. “You will have to do better than that, Harry. Are you afraid of Voldemort? Is that it?”  
  
“Y-Yes,” I answer hesitantly. “He scares me to death, to be honest.”  
  
It’s not a lie. I have nightmares about Voldemort and our encounters all the time. He isn’t in _all_ of my nightmares, but he usually plays a pretty pivotal role.  
  
“I understand. Really, I do. But I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what happened.”  
  
“I don’t need your help, sir. I can take care of myself.”  
  
Dumbledore frowns down at me. “Forgive me, my boy, but didn’t you just say that Voldemort scares you to death?”  
  
“He does. But I’m even more scared about what might happen if I tell you what I know.” I have to suppress a yawn. I’m too damn tired for this conversation. “I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t change my mind.”  
  
Dumbledore sighs and leans back in his chair. For a while, no-one says anything. I almost fall asleep a couple of times. When Dumbledore finally opens his mouth again, I have to force myself to focus on his words.  
  
“Okay, then. But know that my door is always open. Don’t hesitate to seek me out.”  
  
“Thank you, sir,” I feel obliged to answer.  
  
Dumbledore smiles thinly. “Well, then. What can you tell me about that battle you supposedly witnessed at Hogwarts?”  
  
I grimace. Of course, that would be his next question.  
  
“Nothing, unfortunately. I shouldn’t have mentioned it in the first place.”  
  
For the first time, I can tell that Dumbledore is starting to get annoyed with me. Apparently, even Dumbledores patience has limits.  
  
“Why did you mention it, then?”  
  
“I … well … I didn’t know the full extent of my situation when I stepped out of the Forbidden Forest.”  
  
“But you do now?”  
  
“No. Not at all. That’s why I can’t tell you or anyone else _anything_ noteworthy about me or my past. I’m sorry, sir, but I _do_ have good reasons for this.”  
  
Again there is a long pause. I hope this conversation is over soon. I can’t remember the last time I was this tired.  
  
“What do you intend to do now?” Dumbledore eventually asks.  
  
“I … to be honest, I’m not sure. I think I would like to stay at Hogwarts. Preferably as a new student. I need to research some things, and Hogwarts has a bigger library than most places. But I know that the headmaster probably won’t allow it. After all, I’m a stranger who refuses to reveal much about himself.”  
  
Dumbledore looks at me thoughtfully. I have the impression that he’s looking for secret meanings in my words. He won’t find anything, of course. After all, there aren’t any.  
  
“How old are you, Harry?”  
  
“I’m sixteen.” It’s a small lie. I hope Dumbledore won’t notice it.  
  
“Which school do you attend?”  
  
“None.”  
  
“Are you home-schooled?”  
  
“No?” What is he trying to achieve with these questions? What is his end-goal?  
  
Dumbledore shakes his head disapprovingly, but I can tell that in actuality, he is satisfied with my answers.  
  
“You _do_ know that magical education is mandatory, right?” I don’t, and I’m not sure it still is in the nineties. “The only exception is if you get expelled. Did you get expelled?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Well, in this case, the headmaster will have to take you in - unless you want to attend another school.”  
  
I’m confused. It almost seems like Dumbledore _wants_ me to become a Hogwarts student. Why? Does he want to keep an eye on me? Does he think I’m dangerous? Or does he only want to find out how I’m connected to Tom Riddle? I knew that Dumbledore likes secrets, but up until now, I thought he only likes his own. But maybe I was wrong, maybe he is also intrigued by other people’s secrets. Who knows?  
  
“Since you’re sixteen, you should become a fifth or sixth year. We will have to test your magical ability to see what suits you best.”  
  
“That’s not necessary. I’d prefer to become a fifth year.”  
  
Dumbledore eyes me intensely. I’m pretty sure I know who he’s thinking about. After all, Tom Riddle is a fifth year.  
  
“Very well. I will talk with the headmaster about this. In the meantime, you should sleep. I’m surprised you managed to stay awake for as long as you did.”  
  
_Finally. Finally, this tedious conversation is over._  
  
“Okay. Thank you, sir.”  
  
Dumbledore smiles at me and gets going. I wait until he left the hospital wing, then I raise some wards around me. They won’t hold of everything, but they should give me a head-start if Tom Riddle decides to attack me while I’m asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> As you might have noticed, I'm not a native speaker. Feel free to correct mistakes of any kind in the comments.


End file.
